Refusing to sell even with additional money! After rejecting foreign acquisition, 7-Eleven is considering a management buyout for 58 billion US dollars.

On November 13, according to Bloomberg, informed sources revealed that the Japanese convenience store giant 7-Eleven's parent company, Seven&i, is considering privatizing the company through a management buyout (MBO). The transaction is expected to reach 9 trillion yen (approximately 58 billion US dollars), with funding sources including multiple banks, the Ito family, and Itochu Corporation.

Insiders said that if this plan is successful, it will become the largest management buyout case in Japanese history. According to the proposal, Itochu Corporation, the Ito family, and existing investors will contribute 3 trillion yen in cash and equity, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, and other large Japanese banks will provide 6 trillion yen in financing.

After the news broke, Seven&i's stock price soared 17%, marking the largest intraday increase since August 19; Itochu Corporation's stock price temporarily fell by 3.4%.

It is reported that a management buyout is Seven&i's alternative plan to counter the potential increased acquisition efforts of Canadian retail giant Couche-Tard.

Last month, Couche-Tard increased its offer by 20% in another acquisition attempt towards Seven&i, with a bid of $18.19 per share totaling approximately 47 billion US dollars, raising Seven&i's valuation to 7.2 trillion yen. As of now, Seven&i has not publicly responded. When Couche-Tard first proposed the acquisition in August this year, it was rejected by Seven&i. They believed that Couche-Tard's offer significantly undervalued the company and did not consider the difficulties of regulatory approval.

Some analysts suggest that if Couche-Tard successfully acquires Seven & i, it will become the largest foreign acquisition case in Japan's history. At the same time, combining the influence of the Circle K and 7-Eleven brands, Couche-Tard will form one of the largest convenience store networks globally.

Insiders revealed that negotiations on the acquisition by the Seven & i management are ongoing, considering the potential difficulties of this large-scale transaction. If Couche-Tard withdraws its proposal to acquire Seven & i, the management's acquisition may also not proceed further.

In recent years, Seven & i has been actively promoting global expansion, acquiring gas station networks like Speedway and Sunoco in North America, currently operating over 85,000 convenience stores, gas stations, and retail stores worldwide. However, some investors believe that the company's growth is too slow and suggest enhancing value by selling non-core assets.